Here are four tips I find very helpful for continuing to lead our companies and businesses, guiding them to the best possible outcome, while navigating these challenging times:

• Clarity of vision – effective leadership in crisis requires that leaders help their teams to maintain a focus on corporate mission. They process information quickly and share their perspectives in a way that clarifies purpose. This help reduce the ,level of ambiguity that followers have to deal with and prevents ‘emotional contagion’.
• High degree of flexibility – good leaders in times of crisis recognize the need to discard old ways of thinking that may hinder timely action in response to the threats of the crisis. They do this by fostering open communication and setting clear pathways for information flow.
• Empathy – Leaders recognize the need to ‘walk in the shoes’ of their followers by demonstrating an understanding of how team members experience the crisis on a personal level and ‘engaging to motivate’.
• Personal resilience – Good leaders in time of crisis take personal responsibility for ‘self-care’. They ensure they maintain optimal health by keeping mind and body in good shape. They do not overburden themselves and others. Effective delegation of tasks and recognizing their need for mutual support ensures that mental health and support is made available where needed.
• Pragmatism – Leaders in crisis succeed by drawing on the social trust developed in times of calm. They do not put ‘profit over people’.